23 February 2009
On Monday 23rd February, BYT partnered with Trevor Penton of Free D coaching to hold innovative communication training. This enabled participants to explore practical ideas on communication and perception….. in essence it was how to be natural in unnatural situations such as interviews, pitches and other types of meetings.
Trevor is a R.A.D.A trained actor with 8 years experience in coaching. The event was held in Pimlico at The Ebury Jazz Bar and 100 members of the BYT network took part in sessions spread throughout the day. It was a fantastic opportunity to listen to Trevor’s thoughts on communication and perception as well seeing peers in action, who bravely offered to be his guinea pigs! A great mix of people from different backgrounds and in various stages of their careers, ensured interesting input and engaging lively discussion
Trevor’s top tips for those of you who couldn’t make it are:
- Energy: Up your energy when going into any pressurised situation. Always give more, both vocally and physically, than feels comfortable. This will energise you and whoever you are interacting with.
- Pace: Slow down, Breathe!, force yourself not to let the nerves get the better of you. Remember to take whoever you are talking to with you.
- Emphasis: Really give weight and hit the words you are speaking. This always conveys a conviction in what you are saying.
- Personalise: Use I, the first person, speak from the heart and really connect with your content.
After the session there was opportunity to network and continue the discussion with Trevor, the BYT team and each other. It was a very successful event and received fantastic feedback such as:
“Trevor was excellent and it was a nice opportunity to meet like-minded people in a similar position.”
“I would like to thank you for inviting me to the event yesterday. I enjoyed it very much. I was very impressed with your professionalism and enthusiasm.”
“Offering this session definitely set BYT apart from other recruitment consultancies”
“Thanks for the communications skills event this morning. I didn’t expect to pick up as many useful tips such as turn your message into a story to really hit home and methods to calm the situation to allow your real self to shine through. It’s great to be associated with an agency that invests time and resources to advance its candidates.”
“Great – Enjoyed the interactive format. Much more engaging than a simple lecture session”
“Great atmosphere and a great way to interact with others meet people and develop new skills.”
“Excellent idea, very useful, will go away and absorb”
“Brilliant!”
“Great format and interesting presenter. I look forward to the next event!”
“Good session – time well spent!”
“My best Monday afternoon in a long long time!!”
“Great format, very interactive and engaging and a good way to network.”
“Good set-up. Very welcoming and good to be hosted in a non-office environment to encourage social aspects.”
“I loved it, such a brilliant idea!”
“Lots of food for thought and inspiring”
“Thanks once again for the invite to the session on Monday - I really enjoyed it and found some of the points immediately helpful in my client meetings this week.”
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